Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Deliver outstanding customer service and support library operations on weekends.
- Company: Richmond Libraries, a vibrant community-focused organisation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, 40 days annual leave, flexible working, and generous pension plan.
- Why this job: Join a passionate team and make a difference in your community.
- Qualifications: Experience in high-pressure environments and strong customer service skills.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
The predicted salary is between 27781 - 32478 £ per year.
Salary Range: £27,781- £32,478 per annum (pro rata)
Location: Richmond Libraries and Twickenham Libraries
Permanent Part Time - Saturdays: 5.5hrs; or Sundays: 4hrs.
The standard working pattern for this role is working every Saturday 9.30am - 4.00pm, OR every Sunday 1:00-5:00pm / 1:15-5:15pm.
Are you passionate about helping people and creating welcoming community spaces? Richmond upon Thames Libraries are looking for a friendly, confident, and resourceful Library Assistant to join our high-performing team. Our libraries are vibrant, inclusive spaces that serve a wide range of community needs.
As a Library Assistant, you'll be at the heart of this service, providing excellent customer support, helping visitors access resources, and ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the library.
Objective of role
OUR VISION: How Richmond upon Thames Libraries see the future. Communities within Richmond upon Thames will realise their potential through the personal, professional, social and cultural development opportunities provided by their library service. We operate a high-performing library service that is highly regarded by the community.
As a Library Assistant, your role will be to support the delivery of this borough-wide service by ensuring excellent customer service and carrying out a range of administrative duties to facilitate the day-to-day operations.
About the role
Modern public libraries are vibrant and inclusive spaces, open to all members of the community. Our staff must be resilient, confident, and resourceful in order to manage the often complex and challenging situations that can arise in such dynamic customer facing environments.
Most of your work will involve frontline customer service, including:
- Delivering outstanding customer service
- Assisting with the issue and return of books and other resources
- Helping customers use public computers, e-resources, and self-service kiosks
- Supporting events and activities
- Maintaining a safe, welcoming environment for all
You will be required to work at any of our libraries open on Saturdays (12 libraries) or Sundays (3 libraries) within the Borough. As such, you must be able to travel to and undertake duties at any library, occasionally at short notice.
Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience
You should have experience working - either in a paid or voluntary capacity - in a high-pressure environment where high standards of service delivery are expected. You should be able to demonstrate your contribution to the success of an effective team. You should have experience responding to queries and resolving problems effectively. Your ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced setting, with minimal supervision, is essential. You should be able to demonstrate confidence and strong resilience by maintaining composure and responding effectively and professionally when dealing with challenging or difficult service users.
Closing Date: Sunday 18 January (midnight)
Shortlisting Date: w/c 19 January
Interview Date: w/c 9 February TBC
Test/Presentation: As part of the selection process, there will be a test to assess your proficiency in Microsoft Office, and your ability to retrieve information from the internet. It is likely that we will close this vacancy early once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Richmond & Wandsworth Better Service Partnership are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please let us know.
We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts may be exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to these posts will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
We offer a wide range of benefits designed to attract, develop, and reward our employees such as 40 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays), flexible working and a generous pension plan.
Weekend Library Assistant employer: Richmond and Wandsworth Council
Contact Detail:
Richmond and Wandsworth Council Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Weekend Library Assistant
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the libraries in Richmond! Familiarise yourself with their services and community events. This will not only help you during interviews but also show your genuine interest in the role.
✨Tip Number 2
Practice your customer service skills! Think of scenarios where you might need to handle difficult situations or queries. Role-playing with a friend can help you feel more confident when it comes to the real deal.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t forget to showcase your teamwork experience! Whether it’s from previous jobs or volunteer work, be ready to share examples of how you’ve contributed to a team’s success in a high-pressure environment.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, you’ll find all the info you need about the role and the libraries right there!
We think you need these skills to ace Weekend Library Assistant
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion: Let us see your enthusiasm for helping people and creating welcoming spaces in your application. Share any relevant experiences that highlight your commitment to excellent customer service and community engagement.
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to reflect the specific skills and experiences mentioned in the job description. We want to know how you can contribute to our vibrant library environment, so be specific!
Highlight Relevant Experience: Whether it’s paid or voluntary work, showcase your experience in high-pressure environments. We’re looking for examples of how you’ve successfully managed multiple tasks and resolved queries effectively.
Apply Early!: Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your application. We might close the vacancy early if we receive enough applications, so get yours in through our website as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!
How to prepare for a job interview at Richmond and Wandsworth Council
✨Know Your Library
Before the interview, take some time to familiarise yourself with Richmond Libraries. Understand their mission, the services they offer, and the community they serve. This will help you demonstrate your passion for creating welcoming spaces and show that you're genuinely interested in the role.
✨Showcase Your Customer Service Skills
Prepare examples from your past experiences where you've delivered outstanding customer service. Think about situations where you resolved issues or helped someone find what they needed. This is crucial for a Library Assistant role, so be ready to share these stories!
✨Practice Handling Challenging Situations
Since the role involves dealing with diverse customers, think of scenarios where you had to manage difficult interactions. Practise how you would maintain composure and professionalism in those situations. This will highlight your resilience and ability to handle pressure.
✨Brush Up on Tech Skills
As part of the selection process, there will be a test on Microsoft Office and information retrieval. Make sure you're comfortable using these tools. You might want to do a quick refresher on basic functions in Word and Excel, and practice searching for information online efficiently.
